Which is better: Duck down or goose down?

The quality of down depends on the raw material. There are several parameters: The breed of bird, how old the bird is and the health of the bird. The longer its life has been and the colder the climate, the better the quality of the down and the better insulation. If you compare the best goose down with the best duck down, the goose down is the best.

Down is the world's best insulation material and at the same time, it regulates heat and humidity in a duvet very well. The quality of down is always most accurately expressed in a product's fill power.

Fill power is an expression of the down’s insulation ability and quality. The higher the down quality, the higher the fill power and the better the insulation.

Down has no stem or shaft but consists of a tiny core from where lots of small, soft filaments (barbs and barbules) emanate. Between these filaments small air pockets are formed. It is this air between the filaments that provides the insulation - and not the down itself.

Below you see five different types of down. The large, plump one is the best. It has lots of filaments and the highest fill power.

Goose down is generally larger and stronger than duck down, which is why a duvet with 100 % goose down has a better fill power. The better quality is a result of the fact that geese are larger than ducks and generally have a longer life.

Read more about collection of down for our products

Eiderdown is the world's lightest and best insulating raw material. The down is collected from the nest after the eggs are hatched and the ducks have left the nest. The eiderdown is cleaned and sorted manually. Eiderdown is a very exclusive material and a limited resource on the world market.

There are other types of duck down – for instance Muscovy down which is down with eider-like properties. The Muscovy duck is also known and sold under the name “Barbary duck”.

Goose or duck down is what feels soft in a duvet or pillow. Feather provides support in a pillow and heaviness in a duvet.

In a 1-chamber pillow, it is best to use a good mix of down and feathers. If the pillow contains only down, it flattens out and gives no support. In a 3-chamber pillow, the core typically consists of feathers, and the two outer chambers are filled with down for increased softness.

In a duvet, the down provide insulation and the feathers provide the heaviness in combination with the fabric. Comfort is individual, but a heavy duvet is good for people with a restless sleep.

A light duvet is good if you prefer the feeling that it embraces your body soft and nicely. A goose down duvet with 100 % down is also better at absorbing moisture from the body.

In JYSK, we do not accept animal cruelty and our suppliers are obliged to follow our Supplier Code of Conduct regarding treatment of animals. We consider it a breach of contract if a supplier does not meet the requirements.

Down and feathers

Duvets and pillows are among JYSK's core products, and many of these contain down and feathers. When speaking about animal welfare in relation to down and feathers, one specific topic is often on the agenda: plucking of down from geese while still alive. The method is characterised as animal cruelty and illegal in Europe and many other areas.

In JYSK, we only want products with down and feathers, which are by-products of the food industry. In other words, down and feathers, which come from birds that were to be slaughtered anyway, and where down and feathers are plucked after the birds are slaughtered.

JYSK has a limited number of suppliers of products with down and feathers. This is due to ethical and quality-related considerations.